The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-10-16
LARGEST IN THE WORLD.
A Brief Glance at the Lick OBJ
servatOry Telescope,

Recently we gsve description OF the
Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton.
Santa Clara coutry, Cal, and we now
add an account of the lenses of the
largest telescope in the world, which
have very lately reached the observa-
tory from Cambridge, Mass. In the
course of long description of q visit
to the observatory, the correspondent
of the New York Herald says: Dur
ing the day several visitors had arrived
from San Jose and were very anxious
to get view of the lenses-the great So
inch flint glass and crown glass, both Of
which form the objective, and which
arrived few days ago in charge of
Captain Floyd. They were enclosed in
a circular STEEL case, separated about
eight inches from each other and
| tightly held in position by means of
steel bolts. Tney were packed in a
large wooden box, securely braced, and
| brought out from Alvin CLARK & Sons
esta blishment at Cambridge, Mass, in
special car. Every care was taken in
their transportation, and when taken
lIOu I1G DOA IuGy hOI0 pIdCSu III d
brick vault, guarded by to iron doors.
The Herald correspondent was a.
lowed to inspect them. The doors of
the vault were opened, and following |
Captain Floyd the lenses were seen !
standing on end, securely locked within |
their steel case. This case is simply a |
ring of steel some ten inches IN width, |
so that the outer faces of both lenses |
were easily inspected. The crown glass |
has three black bubbles almost in the |
centre of the disk, less than half an /
inch apart and about the size of the !
head of an ordinary pin. The spots |
undoubtedly detract from the beauty |
and finish of the glass, but as Professor |
NewcOmb, of the Naval Observatory;
Professor Hastings, of Yale, and Pro-
lessor Burnham, of Chicago, composed
the committee of experts to examine
them, there can, it is supposed, be little
doubt that these blemishes will not de
tract from the usefulness of the glass.
The flint glass appeared to be perfect.
Speaking with approximate exact
ness, said Captain Floyd, when the
vault doors were closed and locked,
the circumference of the clear apper-
ture of the great Lick objectives is equal
to 9,424 779, 608-eXpressed in feet and
decimsls of a foot. The diameter ex-
pressed in similar way is 81, AIS 926 $50.
OF course these deCimals could D5 car
ried out intarminable.'
~ had great deal OF trouble aud
worry said Captain Fraser, to decide
upon the best way in which 10 bring
the glasses from Cambridge TO Mount
Hamilton without injury. They were
lnsursd in the first place for their value
or rather their cost-$51 600 The
glasses were first wrapped in separately
in twenty thickness OF soft cotton
C 9th drawn very lightly. Next to the
cloth was thick layer of cotton batting
and then layer of paper. A box made
of wood and lined with felt was so pre-
pared that the paper and felt came to-
Sether. The lenses with this covering
were packed tightly in this box and
oraced. Outside of the wooden box
was a steel box about the shape of a
cube, the wooden box conforming 10
the shape of the lenses. This steel cube
was placed inside another steel box or
chest, and by means of spiral springs
prevented from striking against the
sides of the outer box. The outer chest
Vas packed with asbestos to render it
ireprOOf, and both were made air tight
and waterproof. In bringing the box
)ut to Gallo mia it was suspended from
strong WOODEN frame Dy means OF
oiyots and turned one-quarter around
avery day during its ride out here. This
vas to prevent any molecular disar-
in the glass and avoid the
hanger of polarization, it being feared
hat the jsrring OF the train would dis
urb the arrangement of the molecules
lnless the position of the glass was
laIly changed and all lines of disturb
LnCe thus broken IN
The work Of making the two great
inch lenses has been described
'ften and many failures recorded with
egret. That the work has been &C
after years of labor is also
fact, and the expectations of astron-
mers as to the results which it is hoped
viii be accomplish d upon the summit
f Mount Hamilton are most en-
husiastic, The moon, by means Of the
liant telescope, is to be brought within
ne hundred miles of the earth, and
his one fact alone is sufficient to set
be disciples Of HersChel agog. What
Mysteries are to be revealed, what
heories TO be swept away" u